Quote:
Originally Posted by bungalowbuck
which zip codes and neighborhoods within the city of scranton would you suggest? what are housing prices like these days in scranton?
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Besides Scranton's "South Side" there really aren't any other "rough" areas of the city that I'd tell anyone to avoid. That's in the 18505 zip code, but I wouldn't necessarily judge the city by zip code as 18505 is also home to East Mountain, which is a desirable, hilly, upper-middle-class portion of the city near Lake Scranton, and Minooka, which is a stable, friendly, blue-collar, middle-class neighborhood down near the Moosic town line. The Hill Section, which is in zip code 18510, is probably the neighborhood I'll be calling home in the future because it's near to the University of Scranton, Nay Aug Park, Community Medical Center, and has plenty of tree-lined streets, and historic homes. Granted, the drive downhill into Center City could be frightening during wintry weather, even with a four-wheel drive, but I plan to live in "The Hill" and walk to my downtown office everyday anyways, making a car an "option." Another thing I like about the Hill Section is that it's not dominated by driveways and garages---most streets have rear alleyways that tuck driveways and garages
behind homes, where they belong.
Green Ridge, to the north of downtown and near Marywood University, is another sought-after neighborhood. Essentially, it's a mirror-image of the Hill Section with well-kept older homes and tree-lined streets, only without the "hill." LOL!
18509 is the zip code for Green Ridge.
West Scranton is a rather geographically-massive part of the city, and it even has its own high school and quaint "downtown" area along North Main Avenue that has been bouncing back to life in recent years. Fellow member "ConorsDad" lives in West Scranton, so I'll let him be of better assitance to that part of the city, but it's generally an average middle-class part of the city with a blend of residential and commercial areas. The homes aren't as ornate as those in Green Ridge or "The Hill", but they are certainly much more affordable. There is a new KOZ (tax-free) housing development in West Scranton off of Euclid Avenue called "Tripps Park" that has some newer construction options with tax-free status through 2011 in an effort to lure people back into the city from the suburban cul-de-sacs in Clarks Summit to which they fled when the city was still very "sketchy" back in the
1980s-1990s. Zip codes here are generally 18504 and 18508.
North Scranton is nothing special---it's another stable, safe, middle-class area with a lot of smaller, affordable homes, but it's very convenient to I-81, the North Scranton Expressway, and the Viewmont/Dickson City shopping area.
Housing prices have been climbing steadily. I saw a tidbit on the "Rediscover Scranton" web site that said values on single-family homes have risen by about a third since 2003, and by about a half on multi-family homes since 2003. The most expensive parts of the city would be East Mountain, "The Hill", and Green Ridge, although bargains can still be found in all three areas. The most affordable would probably be South Side (due to the crime issues), North Scranton/Providence, and West Side. Center City will be seeing a growing number of housing units this year as well, but they're on the cost-prohibitive side, as the ones in St. Peter's Square are supposed to
start around $335,000 if I'm not mistaken.
In general, you can find a great three-bedroom, 1.5 bath home with a typical city 50'x150' lot and perhaps some "bonuses" like an above-ground pool or upgraded kitchen for the low-$100k range. Homes under $100k would mostly need some cosmetic updating and some personal touches to bring them into the 21st Century, but they would still likely be in great condition. There are also still plenty of fixer-uppers to be had in the city as well if you're ambitious.
Here are links to three photo tours I've taken of the city:
http://www.city-data.com/forum/penns...enjoyment.html
Green Ridge
http://www.city-data.com/forum/penns...l-section.html
Hill Section
http://www.city-data.com/forum/penns...-part-one.html
Center City
Overall, the city is a stable, safe, affordable place to call home. It's only two hours from NYC or Philly, and we haven't had a single murder since mid-2005 thanks to the aggressiveness of the Scranton PD and the vigilance of neighborhood crime watches.
It's not "exciting" and "rush-rush", but it's a great fit for me and my future family.
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